25 July 2022
Town hall urges against repealing Section 377A: SG Extra with Zakir Hussain
The Straits Times' Zakir Hussain, Singapore editor at The Straits Times, speaks with MONEY FM 89.3's Timothy Goh and Bharati Jagdish. A group of people have called for the law criminalising sex between men to be kept on the books, until there are guarantees to protect the traditional definition of marriage and family. Calling themselves the Protect Singapore Townhall, the group held an event at the Singapore Expo convention centre last Saturday (July 23), which was attended by more than 1,200 people. Meanwhile, the Government has been consulting various groups of Singaporeans on the law in recent months. Currently, Section 377A of the Penal Code - is not actively enforced, a position that has been reiterated by the authorities since it was discussed at length in Parliament in 2007. In this week's episode, the team discusses the changing attitudes towards the law and the steps the Government is taking as it decides on the next moves.

Download the podcast.

6 July 2022
More marriages and divorces in 2021 with easing of Covid-19 measures: SG Extra with Zakir Hussain
The Straits Times' Zakir Hussain, Singapore editor at The Straits Times, speaks with Money FM 89.3's Timothy Goh and Bharati Jagdish.

The number of marriages and divorces shot up after the first Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020 disrupted both nuptials and break-ups.

A total of 28,329 couples wed last year, a 25.1 per cent jump from 2020, based on statistics released by the Department of Statistics (DOS) on Wednesday (July 6).

Meanwhile, there were 7,890 marital dissolutions last year, a 13.4 per cent increase from 2020. Marital dissolutions refer to both divorces and annulments.

In this week's episode, the team discusses the top factor that could have contributed to these rising figures and the socio-economic impact of these trends.

Download the podcast.

5 July 2022
Why the current Covid-19 wave 'will not be as severe' as the earlier Omicron wave: SG Extra with Zakir Hussain
The Straits Times' Zakir Hussain, Singapore editor at The Straits Times, speaks with Money FM 89.3's Timothy Goh and Bharati Jagdish.

Singapore is near, if not already at, the peak of the current wave of Covid-19 infections, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (July 5).

He told Parliament that the number of cases is expected to cross 12,000 on Tuesday - about 10 per cent higher than the same time last week.

In this week's episode, the team discusses whether the current Omicron wave is as severe as the first one that hit Singapore earlier this year.

Download the podcast.

4 July 2022
More Govt support given to cushion impact of GST hike if need arises
The Straits Times' Zakir Hussain, Singapore editor at The Straits Times, speaks with Money FM 89.3's Timothy Goh and Bharati Jagdish.

The Government will continue to monitor inflation closely and is prepared to do more if the economic situation worsens significantly, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in Parliament on Monday (July 4).

He said the $6.6 billion Assurance Package, which aims to cushion households from the impact of the looming goods and services tax (GST) increase, still holds as it was designed with a buffer in case of higher inflation.

In this week's episode, the team discusses how far the Government plans to cushion the impact of the impending GST increase given rising inflation and higher prices for Singapore households.

Download the podcast.

27 June 2022
No tightening of Covid-19 measures in Singapore for now, but the possibility is not ruled out: SG Extra with Zakir Hussain
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (June 27) that there is no need to tighten safe management measures for now but this cannot be ruled out as more Covid-19 infections are reported.

Stressing the need for vigilance and testing, Mr. Wong announced that all households will receive 10 antigen rapid test kits. Distribution will begin some time next month.

In this week's episode, the team discusses what to make of this in response to the recent upswing in Covid-19 cases driven by the newer BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants.

Download the podcast.

20 June 2022
Making social media consumption safer in Singapore: SG Extra with Zakir Hussain
First mentioned in Parliament in March, the Ministry of Communications and Information is proposing two codes of practices, in a bid to protect users from harmful online content.

On SGExtra, Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to discuss the ways in which the new rules will add to Singapore’s current Internet guidelines.

Download the podcast.

13 June 2022
How will Singapore cope with its ageing population?: SG Extra
As Singapore's population ages, the Ministry of Health aims to almost double the number of eldercare centres to 220 by 2025 and increase their scope of services. MOH also plans to double the number of nursing home beds to more than 31,000 in the next 10 years. On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out more.

Download the podcast.

6 June 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain - What Singapore’s new Cabinet reshuffle means
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister from June 13, in a move that cements his standing as the successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The announcement comes two months after Mr Wong was endorsed by his peers as the leader of the People's Action Party's  fourth-generation team.

Will the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle have significant developments? On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out.

Download the podcast.

30 May 2022
SG Extra: What Malaysia's chicken export ban means for Singapore's food resilience?
On SGExtra, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times about Malaysia’s chicken export ban and what it means for the resilience of Singapore's food supply and its “30 by 30” goal.

Download the podcast.

23 May 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain: Changi Airport Terminal 2 to reopen in phases from May 29
Changi Airport Terminal 2 will reopen progressively from May 29 as the air hub prepares to meet an expected increase in passenger traffic in the months ahead. When completed by 2024, the expansion works will raise the terminal's capacity by five million to 28 million passenger movements per year.

On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find what the planned reopening of Changi airport’s Terminal 2 for the resumption of air connectivity here.

Download the podcast.

9 May 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain: Permanently banning cheating trainee lawyers from the Bar may be too harsh a penalty
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times for a recap from Parliament., including updates on the recent revelations that 11 aspiring lawyers had cheated in the 2020 Bar exam known as Part B. They also discuss the relaxed Covid-19 restrictions announced on April 22 and what that means for Singapore going forward.

Download this podcast

25 April 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain: What you need to know about Singapore's easing of Covid-19 rules from April 26
The government will be relaxing more restrictions from April 26 after the Ministry of Health made the statement on April 22 that Singapore will lower its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition from orange to yellow level on Tuesday.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out more about what to expect from the further easing of measures.

Download the podcast.

18 April 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain: When will Lawrence Wong take over from PM Lee?
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has been named as the leader of the fourth generation of Singapore's political leadership, paving the way for him to become the country's next Prime Minister.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out what's next.

Download the podcast.

11 April 2022
SG Extra with Zakir Hussain: Major sports events back in Singapore
The return of major sports events to Singapore this year could see the recovery of the event ecosystem happening sooner than expected.
Big events such as the upcoming OCBC Cycle 2022 and Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, could also spur the economy through the creation of new jobs across sectors.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times for more insights.

Download the podcast.

4 April 2022
SGExtra: More support on the way for households given the economic impact of the conflict in Ukraine
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told Parliament today that more support is on the way for households given the economic impact of the conflict in Ukraine, and some Budget measures will be rolled out earlier.
He noted that the war has contributed to a further spike in inflation around the world. Other factors, such as supply chain issues, have also contributed to rising prices.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to find out more.

Download the podcast.

28 March 2022
SGExtra: What you need to know about Singapore's easing of Covid-19 measures
With the latest wave of the virus subsiding, Singapore will double the group size limit to 10 people and allow up to 75% of employees who can work from home to return to their workplaces.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out what to expect from Singapore’s easing and reopening measures.

Download the podcast.

14 March 2022
SGExtra: Impact of the Ukraine war on inflation in Singapore
In January, core inflation rose to 2.4 per cent year on year, the highest since September 2012, driven by price increases for food, electricity and gas.
Now, with the Russia-Ukraine conflict triggering a surge in commodity and petrol costs worldwide, how will these developments affect us in Singapore?
On SGExtra, Prime Time’s Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to find out more.

Download the podcast.

7 March 2022
SGExtra: What you need to know about the new Progressive Wage Mark accreditation scheme
In SGExtra - Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times shares the latest updates from Parliament, as well as details of the new Progressive Wage Mark accreditation scheme to be launched in the second half of this year.

Download the podcast.

28 February 2022
SGExtra: Highlights from Budget 2022 debate & the impact of the Ukraine crisis on Singapore
On SGExtra , Prime Time's Rachel Kelly and Shehzad Haque spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at the Straits Times on the Budget debates which kicked off in Parliament today. They also discuss the impact of the Ukraine crisis on Singapore. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "clear and gross" violation of international norms and sets a completely unacceptable precedent.

Download the podcast.

14 February 2022
SGExtra: Highlights in Parliament, including the FIR Agreement between S'pore & Indonesia
Parliament was in session today, with The Flight Information Region Agreement between Singapore and Indonesia, and also the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Bill on the agenda.
Prime Time's Rachel Kelly speaks to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times who shares the latest, and gives a preview of what we can expect from the Workers' Party when they  expressing their views on Parliament's COP.

Download the podcast.

7 February 2022
SGExtra: What to look out for in Budget 2022
Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong is set to deliver his first Singapore Budget 2022 statement on February 18th in Parliament at 3.30pm. For what to look out for in the speech, Prime Time's Rachel Kelly and Shehzad Haque speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times who gives a preview.

Download the podcast.

24 January 2022
SGExtra: Overworked in Singapore & attendance bonuses for staff who refuse sick leave common here
One in two Singapore employees has been grappling with longer working hours since the Covid-19 pandemic started two years ago.
And a third of those who work overtime put in more than two extra hours a day, a study commissioned by The Straits Times has found.
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Rachel Kelly spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to find out more. They also discuss why incentivising workers to take less sick leave is prevalent in some industries here.

Download the podcast.

17 January 2022
SGExtra: Singapore universities may add places if Covid-19 disruptions bite
Singapore universities may add places for students whose plans to study overseas are hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, if disruptions continue.
Meanwhile, tuition fees for Singaporean polytechnic and ITE Nitec students will increase slightly for the 2022 incoming batch.
Prime Time's Rachel Kelly and Melissa Hyak spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out more about about the changes happening to the education space here.
On the Covid-19 front, they also discuss why Singaporeans polled in a survey expect current pandemic curbs to last till the end of year.

Download the podcast.

10 January 2022
No plans for vaccination-differentiated measures for kids aged 12 and below
Singapore’s public health strategy against the Omicron variant and the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations for children are among the key issues discussed in Parliament today - the first sitting of the year.

To find out more, Prime Time's Rachel Kelly and Shehzad Haque spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times.

Download the podcast.

6 December 2021
Analysis on WP's Pritam Singh's testimony to parliamentary committee
Last week, Workers' Party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh told the Committee of Privileges that he had not directed former MP Raeesah Khan to lie, but took no steps for nearly two months to get her to correct her false statement in Parliament. A timeline of key events was published by the Straits Times. Prime Time's Rachel Kelly and Shehzad Haque speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times who shares more details.

Download the podcast.

29 November 2021
SGExtra - Singapore and Malaysia are aiming to expand the land Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme
Singapore and Malaysia are aiming to expand the land Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme to include general travellers from mid-December.
Prime Time's Rachel Kelly speaks to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times who shares more on the development, along with the possible impact that the new variant of concern, Omicron, might have on the scheme.

Download the podcast.

22 November 2021
Up to 5 vaccinated people from different households can now dine out
Singapore has relaxed curbs on dining out, household visits and some social activities. Prime Time's Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times who shares more about the latest Covid-19 measures.

Download the podcast.

8 November 2021
Growing focus on mental health at workplace as Covid-19 pandemic takes toll
A survey by software firm Oracle found that nearly 7 in 10 residents in Singapore said this year has been the most stressful one at work - with more than half struggling more with their mental health at work this year than last year. Prime Time's Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times who shares how organisations can beef up mental health support for their employees.

Download the podcast.

8 November 2021
Singapore, Malaysia to start VTL for quarantine-free air travel from Nov 29
Vaccinated travellers will be able to take flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur without quarantine from Nov 29. Prime Time's Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at the Straits Times about the details.

Download the podcast.

1 November 2021
Update on SG's ICU capacity & WP MP Raeesah Khan referred to Parliament privileges committee
On Prime Time, Timothy Go speaks to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times who shared some of the biggest stories from parliament including; How  Singapore intends to tackle the ICU bed crunch, updates on the situation at the Westlite Jalan Tukang dorm and details about Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan lying in Parliament about details of a sexual assault case.

Download the podcast.

25 October 2021
SGExtra: Latest Covid-19 Updates in Singapore
On SGExtra, Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to discuss the latest Covid-19 updates from the Multi-Ministry Task Force.

Download the podcast.

18 October 2021
SGExtra: Seven more nursing homes planned in next two years in estates such as Tampines, Punggol
Singapore is one of the fastest ageing societies, with one-quarter of Singaporeans projected to be 65 and above by 2030.In SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times about plans to increase support for Singapore's aging population.

Download the podcast.

11 October 2021
SGExtra: What you need to know about PM Lee's address & local Covid-19 measures
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a zero-Covid-19 strategy is no longer feasible given how infectious the Delta variant is, as he set out the country’s situation and what has changed.

Meanwhile, the multi-ministry task force handling Covid-19 here announced simplified health protocols, updates to the home recovery program and a further reopening of borders.

In SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to unpack the latest Covid-19 developments here in Singapore.

Download the podcast.

4 October 2021
SGExtra: Parliamentary debate on the proposed Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act
In SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Shehzad Haque speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times on the latest developments out of Parliament today.

A petition to seek further consultation and scrutiny on a proposed law against foreign interference will not delay the debate on the law, after Parliament voted to discuss both the petition and the law at the same time.

Download the podcast.

27 September 2021
SGExtra: The latest from Singapore's Covid-19 situation
On SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go catch up with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times for the latest on the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.

With local Covid-19 cases climbing, the authorities have tightened restrictions to prevent daily infections from rising at the current rate.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Singapore reported a record 1,939 new Covid-19 cases, marking the sixth consecutive day new infections have exceeded the 1,000 mark.

Download the podcast.

20 September 2021
SGExtra: Over 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for two straight days. What next?
More than 1,000 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Singapore for the second day in a row on Sunday.

There were a total of 1,012 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily number since April 23 last year when there were 1,037 new cases.

In SGExtra, host Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly speak to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out more on the Covid-19 situation here.

Download the podcast.

13 September 2021
SGExtra: 'Concerns about academic freedom following the Yale-NUS merger are unfounded'
In SGExtra, Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times about the merger of Yale-NUS College and the University Scholars' Programme into the New College and what was discussed in Parliament.

Download the podcast.

30 August 2021
SGEXtra: Key highlights & analysis of the National Day Rally 2021
On SGExtra, host Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times for the key highlights and analysis of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech.

PM Lee gave an update on the Covid-19 situation and economic outlook before diving into how the government plans to tackle social challenges, which have been amplified by the pandemic.

Download the podcast.

23 August 2021
SGExtra: Significance of US Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Singapore & Southeast Asia
In SGExtra, hosts Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly catch up with Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to discuss US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Singapore.
The trip marks Harris’ second foreign trip - she visited Guatemala and Mexico in June - and will be the first time a US vice president has visited Vietnam.
Her visit comes on the heels of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin's late-July trip to Singapore and the region.

Download the podcast.

16 August 2021
SGExtra: Relaxing Covid-19 restrictions & greater vaccination-differentiated measures
Health experts forecast that Singapore is on track to further ease its Covid-19 measures this week, as more people are vaccinated and there are healthcare resources to care for those with severe infection.
In SGExtra, host Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits to find out more.
They also discussed how the nation has responded to the differentiated measures for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people.

Download the podcast.

2 August 2021
SGExtra: Latest from Parliament: Novavax Vaccine, Fake Qualifications & More
In SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times for latest updates from Parliament, including when the approval of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine can be expected and the number of Employment Pass and S Pass holders in the ICT industry who submitted fabricated or forged education qualification certifications.

Download the podcast.

26 July 2021
SGExtra: Latest from Parliament: MTF update on the Government's Covid-19 response
On SGExtra, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times about the multi-ministry task force’s update in Parliament.
On Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong gave an update on the Covid-19 situation.
These include the Government's long-term strategy for when Covid-19 becomes endemic, as well as its vaccine strategy.

Download the podcast.

19 July 2021
SGExtra: Singapore's largest active Covid-19 clusters: KTVs & Jurong Fishery Port
On SGExtra, hosts Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times to find out about the latest on the Covid-19 clusters here in Singapore.

Download the podcast.

12 July 2021
SGExtra: One year post GE2020: Highlights from our political landscape & what's next?
Slightly over a year ago, Singaporeans headed to the polls in General Election 2020. So, what are our politicians doing one year after GE2020? How have the events of a year ago reshaped politics for the longer term? And, what’s next?
On SGExtra, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Rachel Kelly spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times to find out more.

Download the podcast.

5 July 2021
SGExtra: Additional $1.2b Covid-19 support measures: How will Singapore firms & workers benefit?
On Prime Time's new SGExtra segment, hosts Tim Go and Rachel Kelly spoke to Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor at The Straits Times about the latest updates and key issues discussed in Parliament on Monday
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced that additional support measures for the recent period of heightened alert are expected to cost $1.2 billion.

Download the podcast.